Breathless
by Celena Winter
Summary: The disappearence of two Malfoy family members has set wheels into action that may have never been acknowledged before. AU. OC. OOC. HD.
1. Malfoy Malfoy Malfoy

**Breathless**

**Chapter One**

**Malfoy, Malfoy, Malfoy**

Frozen... he was frozen. That was the only thing that could cross his mind as he looked at the worried blue eyes of his mother.

"Draco, I..." His mother was speechless. How odd. He never thought he would see the day when his beautiful mother would let her mask fall. Yet, somehow, he knew that Narcissa's mask was not falling because she was letting it go, she just simply didn't have the strength to hold it in place.

"Rhea?" Draco let his voice slip past his pale lips, but he was afraid to hear the answer. If his mother had let her carefully constructed mask of the 'faultless friend and mother' slip, then the answer could not be pleasant, not pleasant at all.

"Rhea is fine; she is currently in the company of your father and your godfather." Narcissa whispered, her eyes flashing in alleviation, for a brief second.

Draco let his breath out slowly, not realising that he has been holding it. He let eyes flutter close for a moment in relief. It wasn't so much that he cared for Rhea more than Calisto. It was just that Rhea was his. Rhea was his to protect and love and hold, and he couldn't bear to even think that she may be hurt, lost, confused and frightened.

"What happened?"

"We don't know as of yet. Valkyrie and Calisto should have met your father in Paris a week ago, but there has been no contact and no signs of them at all. The last time that they were spotted by locals was in Belgium, a few days before they were to leave for France." Narcissa breathed out quietly, almost as though speaking any louder would doom them all.

"Their magical signatures, have they not done any magic in their last week?" Draco asked quietly, already knowing the answer, but wanting confirmation.

"None whatsoever - unless Calisto has learned to master her wandless magic," Narcissa smiled gently, receiving a snort from Draco. They knew Calisto hated to be without her wand; she liked the control that the wand provided and had adamantly refused to even try to do wandless magic.

"Valkyrie would use hers, though." Draco frowned.

"Yes, she would, but we would be unable to trace it unless we are in close range... Severus thinks that it may be a kidnapping. If that is the case, then we have to be open to the possibility that the perpetrators may know the Malfoy Family enough to know a few of our secrets, to try and prevent them from being used against them." Narcissa let her voice trail off at the end, her eyes reflecting a sudden exhaustion that seemed to be too old for her age.

"What do we have to do?"

"I do not want you or Rhea out of the house, but that is impossible as you start schooling next week. I can't bring myself to place you under tutoring... but your father agrees with me. We can't keep you at home, but we can keep you close. You are attending Hogwarts School of Wizardly and Witchcraft for your final year... and of course Rhea will be attending alongside you, for her Sixth year.

"We have already spoken to the Headmaster, and Severus will be present. If Valkyrie and Calisto are not found by the first of September, you and Rhea will be taking a Portkey straight to Hogwarts..." Narcissa took in a strangled breath as she uttered the next words, "if Valkyrie and Calisto are not found by Christmas, you will not be coming home. Hogwarts is the safest place in England alongside Gryngotts. I do not want to chance your safety by having you here at the Manor for Christmas."

Draco nodded, not sure what else he could do or say, and it seemed like his parents had made up their minds about what to do. How practical.

...

Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived... yet again. The Chosen One of the Wizardly world. The Hero of the Light... was completely and utterly bored. He let out a loud and put out sigh of frustration as he waited for his friends to arrive at the Platform 9¾. But the moment he saw the surprisingly small pack of redheads he flinched; although the group of Weasley brought his best friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger; it also brought the 'Clueless One', Ginevra Weasley and just as he remembered the girl, brown eyes landed on him and said girl launched herself at him, almost tripping over her trunk in her haste to reach him.

Harry easily sidestepped her as she flung herself into his arms but he was unable to move far enough to keep her from hooking her hand on his elbow. "Ginny, what a pleasant surprise, how was your summer?" He smiled sweetly.

"I missed you this summer Harry, why didn't you come and visit me—us?" Her smile was sugar-sweet and delicately masked in disappointment, as she corrected herself in the face of her mother.

"Because I had other things to attend to..." He shrugged, '...better things to attend to.' He added in thought, turning to smile at the rest of the Weasley family. His answer wasn't far from the truth however; he did have much to do once he had become of age. He moved out of his relative's home and restored Grimmauld place with the help of Severus and Remus. He had partaken in the investing business once he had realised how much profit he had obtained from his silent partnership with the Weasley twins; and not to forget all the training that he was undergoing with Dumbledore, Severus, Remus, Bill, and several other members of the Order of the Phoenix... one member in particular. But said member had been surprisingly absent for the last couple of weeks of the summer holiday.

Hermione had taken a lot of her own time and spend it with Harry at Grimmauld place, but she had spent the remaining days of her holiday at the Burrow. Ron, on the other hand, had spent most of his time working with Charlie in Romania. So in all, Harry had little reason to visit the Weasley's home, oh, Molly did make a constant appearance in the Black residence to make sure that the male occupants and Hermione were eating enough - so he needn't go and check in at all.

"Do leave the boy alone, Ginevra. You'll think he was an invalid the way you drag him around." Mrs Weasley snapped at the petite redhead, as she reached out and engulfed Harry in a brief motherly hug - after swatting Ginny's hands away - before running her hands down his cloak to remove any creases. Ginny huffed but did as her mother said. "Now Dear, how are you? I see that Remus and Kingsley are trying to be inconspicuous." She smiled, waving amiably at the two men, making them blush and advert their eyes. She chuckled. "They need to relax a little before they drive themselves into an early grave." Her face was a mask of sympathy.

"Enjoy life a little before war breaks out," Harry agreed readily.

"War shouldn't have to break out." Molly admonished gently, but she knew that it may be inedible to keep an open war from Wizardly England. Time was running out.

"It shouldn't but it probably will, sooner or later... most likely sooner rather than later." Bill voiced the unspoken thoughts that crossed all of their minds as they made their way to where Remus stood.

"The train will be leaving soon." Hermione spoke up, breaking the somewhat cheerless silence that had fallen as they all stood there awkwardly.

"Yes, well. You kids behave... Do try and stay out of trouble, please." Mrs Weasley pulled each of them into a warm embrace before pushing them towards the Hogwarts Express, except Ginny.

"Yes, for Merlin's sake. Stay out of trouble." Remus seconded that, his eyes narrowed down on Harry as the dark-haired boy laughed.

"Yes, sir, ma'am," He saluted each in turn before grabbing his trunk and turning away, Hermione and Ron falling in step behind him.

The trio loaded their things onto the train and stepped out again to say their final goodbyes to Molly, Bill, Remus and Kingsley. Ginny stepped away from her mother and joined the three, giving her trunk to Ron for him to load it onto the train too.

The train whistled and the remaining students scrambled onto the train before it began to move.

...

"Did you notice?" Hermione broke the silence, bringing Harry's attention away from the window.

"Notice what?" Harry asked automatically.

"Malfoy hasn't made a single appearance since we arrived at Kings Cross." Surprisingly, it was Ron who answered, pointing out the difference, but then Ron was probably the first to notice anything about Malfoy in any case.

"Oh, I hadn't noticed, maybe she's busy... did she get named Head Girl after all?" Harry asked distractedly, turning back to the window as the train got closer to its destination.

"As a matter of fact, I was named Head Girl," Hermione huffed, offended.

"Oh, did you? Congratulations." Harry smiled at her momentarily before going back to window-watching.

"I told you as soon as I got my Hogwarts letter a few weeks ago. Harry, what on earth is wrong with you?" Hermione frowned, but the effect of her scowl was lost on the seventeen year old as he continued to run his mind through paces.

"I wonder why he wasn't there."

"Who wasn't there?" Ron asked overriding Hermione, as she turned a deep shade of red in irritation, her lips poised to distribute some well justified... chastising.

"Malfoy, he was presumed to finish his tutoring but he didn't go... I wonder why?" The Gryffindor answered mindlessly.

"Maybe something happened... maybe that's why Malfoy isn't here either." Ron shrugged.

"Yeah, maybe... do you suppose it has something to do with Voldemort?" Harry turned to his best friend, ignoring Hermione again.

"If Voldemort had something to do with it, we would have known by now. Snape hasn't said anything, has he?" Hermione asked quietly, her anger forgotten as Harry voiced his worries.

"No, he hasn't." Harry frowned, his eyes meeting Hermione's.

"I'm sure we just haven't met Malfoy because she's hiding or something. We'll probably see her at dinner." The redhead shrugged again and settled on his chair.

"Yeah, maybe," Harry nodded, his eyes already looking out of the window again.

...

"Do you think Calla is well?" Rhea broke the silence.

Draco turned away from the fire and looked at his little charge. He opened his arms and nodded his head at her, shifting in his armchair. Rhea moved and sat on his lap obediently; cherishing the small show of affection that would be allowed between the two siblings now that they were entering new territory. "They are Malfoy women, Calisto and Valkyrie; there is very little that can be done to them to hurt them." Draco smiled affectionately, but they both knew that the words were not just said as a simple act of comfort.

"I hope they haven't taken Calla's wand, she gets ever so angry when she doesn't have her wand on her person." The petite blonde pouted pitifully.

Draco laughed, understanding full well how petulant their sister could be when she didn't get what she wanted and when she found herself without her wand. "I'm sure she kept her wand hidden, like father taught us to." Draco smiled softly, caressing Rhea's cheekbone and pushing her hair back.

"She never did like wearing a sheath."

"Oh little princess, if we are going to count all the things that Calisto was not fond of, we will be here for a long while yet." Draco shook his head in amusement.

"Do you think it's time for Dinner yet? I'm suddenly peckish." Rhea perked up, her eyes brightening.

"We must wait for Uncle Severus to come for us, they have to let all the other students in first and then introduce the first years... for once I'm glad we were given a choice. I don't think I would have been able to stand in front of all those people and get sorted at this age. What a ridiculous custom, separating people according to their strengths. Categorising is never a good idea; it's what brings the worst in humans." The blond shook his head.

"You think too much." Rhea laughed, jumping off his lap and pulling him to his feet. "Now, come. I'm sure that Uncle Severus won't mind if we wait closer to the Great Hall."

**...**

"Are you sure this is a wise idea, Headmaster?" The potion master turned to the aged man.

"Well as far as this being wise, I can't really say. But it is what Lord Malfoy asked for, and I cannot, in all good conscious turn away someone who petitions for help or sanctuary." Albus Dumbledore answered quietly, resting his chin on top of his entwined fingers.

"But Miss Malfoy made quite a name for herself, what makes you think that her siblings will be safe when the rest of the student body finds out that the new year not only brings back one Malfoy but two... probably three, once Miss Malfoy is found."

The Headmaster laughed, nodding in understanding as he looked up, past his half-moon glasses, at his surly professor. "Well, I do have it in good faith that the three Malfoy children are quite as different from each other as the seasons. But, perhaps we should look at possible options that we could undergo in case something does go wrong." Albus agreed, standing up.

"Please, Dumbledore, you would let the Gryffindors get away with far too much to be commended as reasonable." Severus snorted.

"Then perhaps it is about time that things began to change, Mr and Miss Malfoy might just be the stir that this school needs. Now, I believe that the students are arriving, and your Slytherins might want to find warmer wandering corridors." He twinkled.

...

"I don't see Malfoy." Ron huffed, sitting back down.

"If I didn't know better, I would say you had a mighty crush on the Malfoy girly." Seamus laughed as he heard Ron grumble once more.

Ron turned a healthy shade of red as he rounded on the Irish boy that was now laughing at the redhead's reaction, the few seven years that had heard, joined in, knowing the notorious feud that was held between the new generation of the houses of Malfoy and Weasley.

"It is rather odd that Malfoy isn't present; the first years are almost sorted." Hermione turned to Harry, who was not paying attention to either the Slytherins or the Gryffindors.

Well, technically he wasn't paying attention to the Slytherins; his attention was on the empty seat of one Potions Master. "First Malfoy, now Snape."

"What?"

"What?" Green eyes snapped around, meeting angry brown orbs. "What did I miss?"

"Oh honestly Harry, you are impossible. Malfoy is still missing and you're in la-la land." Hermione snapped back, her irritation growing.

"I know that Malfoy is missing! Now Snape is missing too and Malfoy junior hasn't made an appearance either." Harry scowled, his eyes wondering to the Slytherin table for the first time, but just as he thought, the regal blonde was still missing.

"Will you stop thinking about Lucius—and that is what I meant, Malfoy is not here yet! It is suspicious, in the very least." The brunette crossed her arms over her chest, her look stern.

"You know better than to be so familiar with Lord Malfoy, and Malfoy junior is of no concern to me. You and Ron continue your pity self-righteousness, I don't care for it." Harry shrugged dismissingly, ignoring the hurt and shock that crossed Hermione's face and the confused look from Ron.

The Headmaster stood up and silence fell just as Ron opened his mouth to retort. "Welcome new students, and welcome back old friends. Today, is a day where we welcome each other with open arms and happy greetings," he beamed, "it's a time for new beginnings and time to get to know new faces." The students frowned at each other in confusion, now sure that their Headmaster had finally lost the plot. "We have already introduced the first years; let us make the last introductions. We have a new Defence Against the Darks Art teacher, she is a lovely little thing," Albus mumbled quietly at the end but the Hall still heard him. Professor McGonagall scowled at him, making a few titters rise across the students and Albus blushed. "Yes, well... Professor Atria Fall, ladies and gentlemen." He waved his hand towards the end of the table were a witch covered in shadows stood momentarily and nodded her head in greeting before taking her place again.

Just as the students were about to break into conversation again, Professor Snape walked in, leaving the side door open. He nodded to the Headmaster before taking his place on the teacher's table. Harry let out a breath of relief that he hadn't realised he had been holding, when he saw the Potion's teacher and carefully ignored the looks that his two best friends sent his way.

"Oh, good, and our final guests..." Twinkling blue eyes smiled as he turned from the door to the tables and surveyed the student population. "As you may or not may be aware, we have a student missing this year. Miss Calisto Malfoy will not be attending Hogwarts for an indefinite amount of time; if at all this school year. In her place we have two new students however, and I am sure that you will come to appreciate them as much as you appreciated Miss Malfoy." Ron snorted at this, receiving an elbow on the ribs from Hermione and a dirty look from Harry. "Without further ado, let me present, for the Slytherin Sixth year: Miss Rhea Malfoy," Ron chocked on his pumpkin juice, splattering across the table and receiving an outraged cry from those around him.

The entire school turned to look at the scene created by the redhead, but soon turned back to their own tablemates, discussions forming in rapid whispers as they looked to the Head table.

"I didn't realise that Malfoy had a sibling." Harry mused, looking at the young girl that walked into the Hall. She seemed somewhat surreal, when he compared her to the Malfoys that he knew.

"It seems that only the Slytherins knew of this little development." Hermione observed as the entire school reacted in some form of surprise, but only the Slytherins seemed to be surprised that the girl was there at all - not that she existed... or more to the point, that she was a Malfoy.

"You can be so tactless Hermione," Harry frowned in distaste but kept his eyes firmly on the Headmaster and the girl that stood in a charming air of importance.

"This young lady is the youngest daughter of the Malfoy household, and until last year, she was attending the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic." Albus explained briefly, before turning to the little blonde. "I do hope you feel as welcome here and your sister did."

Rhea smiled beautifully and took a few steps away, turning to face the Headmaster, she curtseyed primly and waited. Albus inclined his head minutely then beamed. The young Malfoy smiled back and pulled smoothly out of her incline and walked down the length of the table, stopping in front of her Head of House. Severus stood and nodded his head then presented a small bow to Rhea whom curtseyed again, beaming promptly at the look of pride that the Potions Master sent her way. With another nod, the dark man sent his latest charge toward her house table.

Albus Dumbledore was positively twinkling at the performance that the young girl showed, and the stir that it caused across the student body. "Now," he called for attention once more and all whispers subsided. "Our last guest is a Seventh year Slytherin." He nodded, all eyes turning to the door as they waited for the latest arrival.

"Great, we get rid of one Slytherin, and two take her place." Ron grumbled, shrinking back in his chair as Harry and Hermione sent him reprimanding looks.

Slowly another blond walked out, but he stayed in the shadows as the Headmaster opened his mouth again. "Mr Draco Malfoy," He announced and Ron chocked in horror.

Draco Malfoy walked into the light and up to where the ageing man stood. "My, you young Malfoys are an interesting lot." He beamed, but received no acknowledgement from the older blond. "Master Malfoy is the oldest and the Heir to the Malfoy family, he attended Durmstrung Institute until his Sixth year, and again, I hope you find yourself as much at home here as you did in your previous school."

Draco nodded, making the same show of acknowledgement as his sister, but a lot less charmingly as he bowed for the Headmaster and Severus Snape before turning to his table and making for his sister.

Harry watched, enchanted, as the regal blond took his place next to the Headmaster. Ron was bemoaning his luck and cursing the fates, but the raven-haired Gryffindor was not paying attention. There was only one word to describe what he saw before him: Perfection. Draco Malfoy was unlike any of the Malfoys that he has seen and met. He had a majestic yet had rebellious streak about him that none of the other members of his family possessed.

Draco felt the weight of someone's eyes on him, he wasn't really surprised, knowing that he was someone that demanded attention, and the situation certainly demanded the attention of the other inhabitants in the Hall as their world was shaken in its foundations – but there was something about this particular pair of eyes. Artfully he let his eyes sweep over the students, looking for the culprit.

Silvery grey and emerald green clashed and held.

Draco stopped breathing, the power that the dark-haired boy exuded was exciting, unpredictable. Yet, no one seemed to even notice him in _that_ way, they seemed to know that he commanded respect but the proper respect was still not presented. The boy didn't seem to care, at any rate.

Harry felt like he was drowning, and didn't much care if he did as long as those eyes didn't stop looking at him. A small smile lifted at his lips, anticipation pooling in his stomach but his heart really jumped when the blond smiled back. It was small, but it was a smile, and not the Malfoy sneer that he had accustomed himself when in the presence of Lucius or Calisto.

"Harry!" Hermione snapped, "Stop daydreaming and tell me what's wrong?"

"Why would something be wrong?" Harry frowned, but was reluctant to break the contact with the eldest Malfoy child.

"You're being difficult." Hermione said flippantly, as though it was obvious to the naked eye.

"Is that what you're calling it?" Harry laughed, but continued to ignore her visually.

"Harry, look at me when I'm talking to you! And yes, that is what I'm going to call it." She frowned, crossing her arms across her chest formidably.

"Just because I'm not jumping at your beck and call, like an obedient little puppy, does not mean that there is something wrong with me." Green eyes flashed angrily as Harry turned to look at his best friend, but his eyes snapped back to look at Draco – who was now looking confused.

"Then what is going on?" Ron persisted, covering for Hermione as she froze in resentment and hurt at Harry's angered words.

"I grew up." The dark-haired boy shrugged, trying to convey as much comfort as he could to the blond, through his gaze.

"You weren't acting like this, this morning on the train. How could you just suddenly 'grow-up'?" Ron sneered in disgust, his frustration at how stupid he suddenly felt, well, more so than usual, coming out and converting into anger.

"I hardly spoke to you on the train, not that it would have made a difference, you can speak for the entire school and still not-" Harry cut himself off angry, turning away from the redhead.

"Fine, so we didn't pay _that_ much attention to you," Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry snorted, "It doesn't mean that you have to be rude. You weren't like that until you started taking lessons from Malfoy." Hermione accused sharply, as Harry rolled his eyes.

"Oh, of course, because you're the only one entitled to be right." Harry spat.

"I didn't say that." Hermione almost shrieked shrilly, losing her carefully controlled temper.

"Tell me, had it been Lupin or McGonagall teaching me and helping me 'grow-up', would you be questioning me?" The brunette opened her mouth to argue but Harry charged on, "You see, I don't think you would and you know what, I am tired sick of your hypocritical and bigoted bullshit. Talk to me when you've grown some real sense."

...

Draco Malfoy watched with well concealed interest as the dark youth snarled and argued against, what he presumed to be, close friends, before the Gryffindor pushed away from the table and stormed out, his dinner forgotten and their 'interaction' halted.

"I see you found the base of power?" Rheas laughed, whispering against her brother's ear. Hey, just because she's the _nice_ member of the family, didn't mean that she wasn't any less Malfoy, and she certainly didn't lack any Slytherin distrust for those around her – especially Slytherins.

"He is... different." Draco supplied easily, turning his attention to the empty dish before him and the food that was displayed for his choice.

"You haven't changed much in your choice of friends. Always looking for the ones that stand out - the powerful lonesome one - that is probably why you lack so many more friends. You're too damn picky." Rhea laughed, pushing a few platters in her reach, towards Draco to accommodate the blond.

"Don't speak like that; you know how it displeases me when you speak in such a language." Draco scrunched up his nose, accepting the platters that the little blonde pushed towards him. "Besides, he doesn't look so lonesome, if those two are anything to go by, and he's a Gryffindor... they always stick to each other... isn't that what Calisto said, loyal to fault... something about 'friends forever'." He fluttered his eyelashes dreamily, imitating his sister's mock Gryffindor look-of-adoration.

Rhea chuckled playfully, "She did say something similar about the Hufflepuff." She added as an afterthought, tucking into her dinner. "Still, will you pursue anything with him? He seemed interested."

"Let's just get used to the atmosphere, see where the wind will blow." The blond whispered, letting the topic slide and their focus shift entirely to their meal.

...


	2. Learning something New

**Chapter Two**

**Learning something new**

It was a rather anticlimactic last few weeks at the Dursley household, or at least it was for Harry as he waited out the final weeks until his freedom from his relative's 'protection'. However, on the very final day with his aunt and uncle, everything changed. So it was supposed that the lack of 'entertainment' for either party during those painfully slow three weeks were just leading up to the shock and wonder at the end. Whoever said that 'the journey was half the fun' was clearly insane... or at least Harry Potter thought so, once he had time to process what had happened that summer.

But perhaps we're jumping the wagon a little; after all we do need to know what happened in that inquisitive day...

_Vernon Dursley was watching TV with his family, when the doorbell rang for a precise amount of time – not too short and not too long. He looked at his wife, but Petunia looked almost as lost as he felt. They didn't have a habit of entertaining visitors on a Saturday morning._

_The doorbell rang again, Petunia promptly standing up to go and answer it and Vernon decided that, he too, wanted to know who had the nerve to interrupt their morning routine._

_Petunia opened the door and Vernon opened his mouth to say a few well-placed words to the caller but his words died in his throat before they could reach lips as he took in the man on his doorsteps. His wife obviously agreed with him, if her blush was anything to go by, when he thought that the gentleman was someone to be taken notice of._

"_I do apologise for the impromptus visit. I do hope it's not too much of an inconvenience." The blond aristocrat drawled easily, a small twitch of his lips indicated the first signs of a sneer._

"_Not at all, how can we help you... sir?" Vernon stumbled as he took out his beefy hand and offered it to the well-dressed business man._

_It was then that the blond moved slightly and a few more characters came into view. "We are here to collect Mr. Potter, if you please." He sneered, nodding to his entourage, ignoring the huge proffered hand._

_Vernon and Petunia took in the sight that greeted them past the aristocratic man and paled. Right behind the blond stood a man entirely dressed in black – closely resembling a Vampire – or at least what they thought a vampire should look like (pale, dark clothing and formidable). With his back to the house, a third man stood dressed in dirty jeans, a biker jacked and wild but stylish long brown hair - Rebel. Finally, the last of the group, standing between the Vampire and the Biker, stood a school teacher. There was no other way to describe the simple man with a brown pullover jumper and black trousers._

_Vernon sneered in disgust as he realised just who stood on his perfectly respectable doorstep; but he took a step back in fear as he heard the Vampire growl threateningly when he sneered __particularly viciously in the direction of the teacher that he remembered from a few years back._

"_Severus, do calm yourself. It wouldn't do to _hurt_ the muggles, now would it?" The blond smirked, but didn't take away his dark blue eyes away from the family._

"_If you came for the little freak, you could have at least had the decency of warning us beforehand." Vernon snapped - his earlier adoration for the blond forgotten._

"_I must admit that would had been the amicable and polite thing to do, but it seems that good manners would be wasted on you nevertheless... or is it a habit of yours to keep company at your front door?" The blond smirked, his eyes predatory._

_Petunia paled further but Vernon refused to move, denying entry at all. "Potter!" He bellowed, not taking his eyes from the small group._

"_Lucius, perhaps you could be so kind and to remove him. We really don't have the time to be playing around." The teacher spoke up, drawing attention away from the family as Severus and Lucius continued to glare respectably at the two muggles, scaring Petunia horribly and infuriating Vernon endlessly._

"_I don't make it a habit of playing with useless muggles." Lucius drawled, altering his focus as though just realising that he also didn't make a habit of even regarding their existence._

_A barked laugh broke through the air as the Biker finally turned around. "Pull the other one, Malfoy, it has bells on it." The brunet approached, his eyes laughing mischievously._

_Lucius rolled his eyes, but the tug on his lips spoke of amusement. "Fine, I don't waste good magic on worthless muggles." He sniffed indifferently, shortly after, followed another barked laugh, a snort from Severus and a chuckle from the last member._

"_Well, if you won't do it, then do you mind if I have _this_honour?" The Biker grinned, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Vernon, the fat man staggering backwards and Petunia whimpered._

"_Sirius, Lord Malfoy?"_

_The group turned their eyes as a whole to look at the bespectacled youth that stood by the backyard doorway, looking confused._

"_Ah, Mr. Potter." Lucius drawled, "at long last."_

"_Harry!" Sirius trumpeted out enthusiastically, "ready to go home?"_

"_What?" Harry moved forward, careful not to get his hopes up._

"_What Black failed to say was that your blood protection is now complete. You can now leave, this-" Severus cut himself, not being able to come up with an appropriate noun to describe the people before him. "In any case, we're here to collect you." He finished, fractiously._

"_Oh," Harry breathed out, not sure how to react, his delight overwhelming him completely._

"_Well, let us get you ready, unless you plan to leave everything behind?" The last of the group made his presence known, effectively breaking the silence again._

"_Professor Lupin, wow, you're here too." Harry gasped._

_Remus smiled indulgently. "Yes, but we really don't want to waste more time, Potter." Severus snapped, suddenly defensive._

"_Really Snape, you act as though the boy was about to steal your bride away." Sirius laughed, catching the man's reaction to the boy._

"_Not to break up your little lover's spat, but we really must be quick about this." Lucius snorted, moving forward, his hand falling onto Harry's shoulder and propelling him towards the __front door_

"_What? Are the muggles ruining your big bad image, Malfoy?" Sirius barked._

"_Well, if you must know, my wand hand is rather itchy." The blond drawled._

"_Which wand?" Sirius enquired mock-innocent._

"_Really Black, must you behave like such a cretin? You come from a pureblood and prestigious family." Lucius shot back, half-heartedly—seemingly as though it was a common argument between the two._

"_That only means that I am extremely wealthy, Malfoy." Sirius shrugged._

_Vernon, who had been splattering - unable to voice his indignation – paused and perked in interest, at the conversation. Petunia too, took notice as they watched the small group make the climb up the stairs._

"_Oh that's right, think about the money; forget all about the family name and ancestry line." Severus snorted, shaking his head moodily._

"_My only family is Harry, until I find myself a wife. __Until then, all my money is also Harry's."_

"_How noble, but you do realise that Potter doesn't need more money. His parents left him enough money to last him a few __**life times**__." Severus argued back._

"_I am still here you guys." Harry called out from the front of the group, but his attempt at distracting the two went unnoticed by the pair._

_Vernon and Petunia strained to listen to more of the conversation but the group were already filing into the small second room that had been Harry's home for the last few years._

"_Did they just say that Potter is loaded?" Dursley called quietly from the kitchen doorway, too scared to draw attention to his person._

"_That's right, they said that Potter is loaded, which means that he is more than capable of repaying us for our trouble." Vernon sneered greedily._

...

"Harry James Potter, you will tell me what the hell that little display was all about!" Hermione stormed into the boy's dorm room, completely ignoring the indignant cries coming from the other occupants in the room.

"Harry isn't here Hermione, could you leave now, please." Neville called out from his bed as he paused his unpacking.

Hermione ignored him as she turned to Ron, who had just followed her into the room. "He's not here, where do you think he would be right now?" She demanded.

"Not sure," Ron shrugged. "Could be all over the place for all we know. He takes to wondering endlessly when he's angry."

"The Marauder's map," Hermione snapped up, turning to Harry's bed and smirking at the trunk at the end. She moved quickly, standing before the still packed trunk before bending down and pulling at the latch. "Oh! It's stuck."

"What do you mean '_it's stuck_'?" Ron asked, confused.

"What else could I mean, Ronald? The trunk is stuck, it won't open." Hermione snapped back.

"You must be pulling it wrong." The redhead suggested, cringing back when Hermione threw him a poisonous look.

"How many ways is there to opening it?"

"It could be that Harry locked it." Neville supplied helpfully.

"Why would he do that?" Hermione frowned in irritation.

"There is a war coming up, you can never be too careful and he is the Chosen One." Dean suggested, rolling his eyes at the bewildered look that came from the two thirds of the trio.

"But we're not just anyone." Ron complained.

"Then perhaps he's tired of you snooping through his things." Seamus called out, laughing loudly.

"That is not amusing Seamus Finnegan." Hermione snapped.

"Who said I was kidding. You guys treat him like an incompetent child. He isn't stupid, you know." He laughed again, but his eyes spoke of anything but amusement.

"I'm going to go wait for him in the common room. Ron, are you coming?" Hermione asked, standing at the door.

"No, I think I'll just unpack whilst Harry gets back. I'm sure I'll know when he's here." He smiled, turning away from the brunette and making himself busy with his owe trunk.

"Fine, come whenever you're ready." She sniffed, walking out and letting the door bang close.

"You'll know the time to go is when she's starts imitating a banshee, right mate?" Seamus called out from his wardrobe.

"Do you really think we treat him like he's stupid?" Ron sat down on his still closed trunk.

"Ah, come on now mate, don't take it the wrong way, you've been a friend to him throughout all this years. You've just sort of forgotten that he can take care of himself and he can think for himself too. He isn't the lost little boy that knew nothing about the wizardly world, seven years ago. You just have to remember that." Seamus walked over, slapping the redhead on the back a couple of times in a comforting gesture.

"I suppose."

"You got the chance to grow when you went to Romania this year - you know with all that independence without your family and Hermione. Well, it looks like Harry got to do his own growing up." Neville whispered, also joining the solemn redhead.

"Yeah, he got to do a lot this summer," Ron smiled proudly. "Just seems that Hermione isn't happy that a lot of the summer passed with me in Romania and Harry with Snape and Malfoy."

"Sounds like Hermione might be scared of being left behind. Maybe you guys should reassure her that she's still important to the two of you, or at least speak for yourself, Harry is his own person." Dean prompted gently, pushing the boy from his trunk and towards the door.

Ron walked to the door, pausing only for a moment when he stepped out. "Thanks guys." He smiled, closing the door behind him, after receiving a nod of encouragement from his roommates.

...

Ron found Hermione hiding behind a book as she waited for Harry to arrive.

"'Mione, could I talk to you?" He asked nervously.

"Oh, is your packing done, Ronald?" She asked, sarcasm dripping heavily in her voice, not even bothering to look away from her book's pages.

"Will you stop that, you're being insufferable." The redhead snapped, dropping down on the armchair by the fire, facing the table were Hermione sat.

The book was placed on the table deliberately slowly and carefully as furious brown eyes looked up and met irritated blue orbs. "I'm being insufferable?" The tone was deadly.

"Yes, you are being insufferable," Ron said; he could feel his hands begin to sweat but he refused to back down. "We're growing up, all of us. We learn something new all the time, you're not the only one that discovers something fresh, and just because me and Harry are not as enthusiastic about studying doesn't mean that we don't have a mind of our own." Ron looked away slightly anxious by the shade of red that the brunette was turning. He fought on. "I can't speak for Harry, but I _am_ grateful to your unrelenting help over the years, but we're not little kids anymore and as important as your input can be, we do have to come to our own conclusions from time to time. It's not fair on you or us that the decisions that we make have to be given the third degree every time you don't agree or don't understand an idea fully."

"So now I'm being unfair to you." Hermione snapped, before Ron could go any further.

"That's not what I'm saying... exactly... I just think that you should trust us enough to know that we can think on our own, and that if we do make mistakes, that we can learn and work with them without having you on our backs."

"After everything that I've done–"

"We're not denying how much you have done for us, and how much you continue doing for us. However, we don't need a nag, we need a friend, and we need to make our own lives. We can't be you, as much as you would like us to do as you do, we are who we are." Ron let out a breath of relief as Harry walked through the entrance door and stopped Hermione tirade. Hermione on the other hand was less than pleased to have the green-eyed boy side with Ron.

"Fine, you don't want anything to do with me – that's absolutely fine. When you destroy your little miserable lives, do not come crawling back to me and expect me to fix you." She heaved her book up and stood to her full height, throwing the two males filthy looks.

"'Mione–"

"Don't worry, 'Mione, we won't disturb your perfect little bubble." Harry overrode Ron as he continued towards the boy's dormitories, but Hermione didn't stop on her angry walk to the girl's dormitories.

Ron stood up, unsure of what to do and completely lost as to what had just happened. He took a step towards Hermione, although she had already disappeared up the stairs, wanting to say something, anything to make her feel better, but then he realised that he couldn't go to the girl's dormitories and who knew when another of the girls would make an appearance in the common room. He decided to follow Harry instead – not that he had much choice as they shared the same room.

"Harry, what the hell was that all about?" Ron asked the moment he walked through the door.

"If you think I'm going to apologise, you're sourly mistaken. I will not apologise for telling her that I am a human with my own rights, not a thing that she can fix." Harry spoke up, not turning from rummaging his trunk.

"Oh," Ron paused, looking at his best friend. "I suppose you're right." He whispered.

"Wow, Ron, I really don't understand how you can contradict yourself so readily. You blabbed on about being your own person and then the moment that Hermione threw a tiff, you were ready to throw in the towel and now you're readily agreeing with me..."

"No, no, I agree with you. I don't want Hermione angry, coz she can be so mean when she's angry, but I see what you mean. She did say that she saw us as _things_, didn't she?" He whispered the last words, turning them into an uncertain question.

"Sorry mate," The dark-haired man turned around, his invisibility cloak in one hand. "I wish it wasn't like this, but somewhere along the way, 'Mione stopped seeing us as her friends and more like a pet project."


	3. Home is where the heart is

**Chapter Three**

**Home is where the Heart is**

Lessons began on Wednesday. The Gryffindor seventh year was a little tense. Hermione Granger was still absolutely livid with her two best friends. Ron Weasley was at odds with how he felt and how he understood the situation at hand. Harry Potter, well, Harry was in a completely different world. He was rather annoyed that he didn't get to meet Draco Malfoy in his nightly wanderings, but then he conceded that the blond was not a prefect and that would narrowed down the chances of the two bumping into each other in the dark corridors like he was used to bumping into Calisto Malfoy. Another reason he was in a bad mood was that Potions was not until the afternoon, and anyone hearing Harry's lamenting thoughts would have thought the Boy-Hero had lost his mind. But the green-eyed man knew that out of all of his lessons that day, Potions was the only he would be able to share with the Slytherins, and by default, Draco Malfoy.

The late entry of the Malfoy siblings for breakfast broke Harry's wallowing as he perked up and followed the blond as he walked the length of the Slytherin table and took his seat at the end, his sister taking her place next to him.

...

Draco looked up from his homework as the door to his bedroom opened. It was Saturday evening and so far, all the Slytherins had made themselves scarce, giving him the space he needed to settle down. On that note, he wondered what his darling twin sister had said to her fellow classmates to make them react in such a way, but on second thoughts, he rather not know, and it wasn't like he didn't appreciate the silence.

Rhea walked through the door, smiling impishly before letting the door close behind her and with a wave of her hand she locked and silenced the bedchamber.

"Are you doing homework?" She asked with a smile on her lips as she slid into his lap and looked down at the rolls of open parchment. "You're such a bore." She frowned slightly.

"Lines," Draco scowled lightly, without looking at the younger girl. Instantly, the little blonde let her forehead relax and any signs of a frown disappeared.

"I see that you're avoiding our resident hero..." The blonde hedged, her eyes falling on a far point as she continued to play idly.

"Subtle, dear, very subtle," Draco chuckled, recognising his little girl's attempt to entice him into a conversation and hopefully future interaction with Harry Potter.

"Oh, come now Draco, it's not like he's not interested... he's practically falling over himself trying to get your attention." Rhea crossed her arms over her chest defiantly; the closest she could get to imitate a scowling posture without creasing her facial expression.

"Hardly, Rhe, he's just awfully... clumsy... such a sweet klutz." He mused gently, recalling as the dark-haired man had dropped his books when he tripped on his own feet amid deciding whether to follow Draco out of the library or continuing to return his books as he was supposed to.

Draco of course had made a move to help him, but in that, two redheads beat him to Harry and took his attention... albeit with some difficulty as the Gryffindor fought to get the retreating blond.

"You're as smitten with him as he is with you," Rhea smiled gently, compassionately. "If anything, Calisto's disappearance brought some good fortune."

"Rhea, you should hold your tongue." Draco scowled, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"You know very well that I mean no ill for our sister, but I cannot help to think that so long as we haven't heard anything negative, Calisto and Valkyrie are well. No news is good news." Rhea rationalised flippantly, covering her worry well.

"Malfoys through and through," Draco whispered in agreement.

"Good, now will you at the very least try and talk to the poor Gryffindor, to alleviate his poor frayed nerves." Rhea pushed once again.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Do not play coy with me, Draco Lucien Malfoy. You know, as well as I, that anyone with half a brain and a seed of a libido would be crazy to not notice you. The poor Boy-Wonder must doubt from his blood to his fashion sense, knowing full well that you are a creature of luxury and that you only have the very best." She sniffed, knowing she was right.

"The Boy Who Lived isn't the very best?"

"Oh, Calisto mentioned that the boy was plagued with self-doubt and he disliked his status as the Chosen One. Harry Potter will not be thinking highly of himself and he will never deem himself good enough to even dream of you. Even if our sister had not mentioned such a thing, you can see it in his eyes, if you look close enough. I also have it in good authority that _you_ have looked extremely close." She smirked before sobering. "Are you really going to make him suffer?"

"You think I'm good enough for him?"

"Modesty does not become you," Rhea rolled her eyes. "Don't even try to deny it, you want him and you are going to get him, you're not worried whether he will like you or if you're good enough, you're too much of a Malfoy to even sniff at that. You've just never done this before and you are unsure off how to proceed. Well, speaking to him is as good a start as any." She nodded one more time, climbed off the blond's lap and walked out of his room before Draco could think to argue.

...

Harry looked down at the Marauder's Map once more. It was Monday morning - an insanely, ungodly, preposterous hour in the morning. He stood a few paces away from the Slytherin's house entrance, waiting for a particular blond.

He had taken to watching the Marauder's Map as much as possible and from that he watched all of Draco Malfoy's movements. It was absurd for him to be so confident in the blond's routine in just the few days that they had been in school, but he just hoped that the young aristocrat kept his immaculate self to the routine that he had religiously followed the week before.

He let a breath of relief out as he watched the small foot prints that indicated that Draco was on the move. No one else in Slytherin seemed to be awake just yet, and Harry sent another prayer of gratitude to the heavens.

He had sneaked Draco's timetable from the library's records and knew that, like him, the blond had Monday and Thursday first period free. He also knew that the blond liked to spend his time in the library, deep in the back where no one but two others knew that an alcove resided. Harry, of course, was one of those people that knew of the secret nook and Calisto was the other.

Harry presumed that the younger twin must have told the Malfoy Heir about it, but the thought was soon forgotten when he saw the Slytherin wall slide open and Draco walked out, looking a good as always.

He let the Slytherin walk away a sufficient distance away, he knew where the lithe boy was going and if by any chance the blond changed his course, he still had the Map with him. Adjusting his invisibility cloak once more, he pushed away from the dark corner and followed after Malfoy.

...

"Hi,"

Draco started as he looked up at the sudden call and interruption of his privacy. He blushed. "Hi." He responded timidly, caught unaware and by the very person he had been day dreaming of.

"I see you've found my secret hideout." Harry smiled gently, his voice just as quiet as Draco's.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know... I didn't mean to- I haven't seen you here before." Draco stuttered, unsure of what to say.

"It's ok; I don't mind sharing this with you... so long as you don't tell anyone else. My friends would never leave me alone otherwise and it would be such a pity to lose this place." His voice grew slightly bitter at the mention of his friends, before taking a more melancholy tone towards the end.

"I promise I won't say anything," Draco whispered.

Harry looked up and smiled. "Thank you," he whispered before falling silent.

They sat together for a while, both staring into space and sneaking looks at each other periodically, but before long Harry broke the silence again and Draco was glad for the chance to openly look at the Gryffindor Golden Boy.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you awake so early in the morning?"

"I could ask you the same thing..." Draco returned cheekily, lowering his eyes coyly.

Harry smiled softly before letting his voice slip into bitter resignation. "I suffer from insomnia. Sometimes being dead on my feet is much more preferable to the nightmares that I get."

Draco's small gasp alerted Harry to the blond's movement, his hand hanging in mid-air, reaching out for the brunet, before the Slytherin retracted his hand back to himself, blushing furiously. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have... made you remember-"

"Hush, its ok," Harry whispered, closing the space between them and comforting the blond in turn. "You didn't know and it's not like I'm not used to it." He reassured, his eyes falling down on the trembling pink lips.

"You shouldn't be used to _it_," Draco argued, clamping his hands over his mouth for his forwardness.

Harry broke into a smile before he could think it; slowly he pulled the pale hands away from those enticing lips. "That is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you."

Draco blushed, nodding his acknowledgement. "Can you not take some dreamless potions? Professor Snape is very good at those..." He asked carefully.

"I became immune to those rather quickly. I think I need something _otherworldly_ to help me sleep." Harry whispered, leaning down slightly. "But I think I want to get to know you better before I ask you for a goodnight kiss." He breathed, turning his face at the very last moment and pecking the blond on the corner of his lips.

Draco felt his blush rise again and his eyes flutter close. "That sounds like a sensible idea." He whimpered ever so lightly. "Just perfectly rational," He gulped, "very unlike you... or- so I hear." He said haltingly.

"You're right, that won't do at all." Harry pulled back and waited for Draco to open his eyes. "Let me kiss you," he leaned forward, waiting for the affirmation that he needed. He watched carefully as Draco's breath caught shortly before the blond gave a short, if slightly jerky, nod. Harry smiled and covered the distance, pressing a chaste kiss on the ever so soft lips. "Let me kiss you again," he pleaded - a breath away.

Draco pressed closer to the bigger teen, his hands finding purchase in the soft fabric of his cloak. He nodded once more, only one time and less jerky that the last, his nose caressing Harry's cheek as he tilted his head slightly.

The kisses were gentle, caressing, learning, worshipping and Draco felt like he had reached heaven. His fingers dug deeper into the layers of clothing, unwilling to let go, giving as much as he was receiving.

"I could drown in you forever." Harry whimpered, pulling away by the barest amounts.

"Then don't let go." Draco whispered, burying his face under Harry's chin and breathing his scent deeply. "Don't let me go, not when I finally feel like I've come home."

"You feel it too?" He asked, but it was more of a statement as he wrapped his arms around the Slytherin and pressed him as close as humanly possible. Draco nodded, signing in contentment. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"I don't know; but I feel like I've known you forever and only now I'm finding you again..." Grey eyes looked up meeting green eyes as they pulled away, but didn't let go.

"I know what you mean, I feel the same way."

...


End file.
